The Job
by Gwenog Jones
Summary: The first day of work is never easy for a Malfoy. A sad little oneshot. Rating for implied future actions.


Disclaimer: Not mine, plain and simple. The idea for this was inspired by a challenge on The Hideaway. The requirements were that it be about an HP character and their first day on their first job.

The Job

Abraxas Malfoy sat at the table in his finely appointed dining room. He was staring intently at a large black envelope. His fingers were tapping a restless tattoo on the overly-polished mahogany tabletop. With a sigh, he pushed back from the table and let his shoulder blades rest fully against the back of his ornately decorated chair. He glanced at his wife, who was contently eating her breakfast, released another sigh, and swung his left ankle up to rest on his right knee.

Just as Abraxas was about to rise from the table, his son walked into the room. Abraxas shot him a withering glance. "It's not polite to keep those older and more important than you waiting," his voice was harsh and cold.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." His son looked down at his feet and shuffled over to his chair, which he stood beside hesitantly.

Abraxas waved a hand in the general direction of his progeny and imperiously commanded, "Sit down boy! Quit dawdling."

Abraxas' son meekly sank down into his chair with a mumbled "Yes,sir." As soon as he was seated, a house-elf appeared at his shoulder and began to dish up food onto his plate.

"Elf!"

The startled house-elf turned in the direction of his master, his eyes subserviently fixed on the ground.

"We do not have need of your services. If my son chooses to sleep late, then he chooses to miss breakfast. Return to the kitchens." The elf simply nodded and was almost ready to apparate out of the room when Abraxas added, "And you should punish yourself for your blunder."

The elf nodded and disappeared with a loud crack that seemed to echo around the silent room. After letting the silence stretch on for a moment, Abraxas turned to his son and slid the black envelope towards him. "Lucius," he said, addressing the boy by name for the first time that morning, "you have a letter from your grandfather."

The boy called, or rather _rarely_ called, Lucius visibly gulped. He stared down at the envelope in front of him, trying hard to not show the dread he was feeling.

Abraxas' voice broke through his emotional haze. "You understand what this means?" A single nod was all he got in response. "Good. Today, my son, you join the ranks of the…_working_ class." Abraxas let loose a peal of malicious laughter. His wife quickly followed suit and joined in, her harsh laugh reminiscent of glass breaking at high frequencies.

"Lucius," his mother's saccharine voice dripped poisoned honey as she shot her only son a simpering smile. "Go ahead and open the envelope." Her eyes darted to the post in question, with a hungry gleam suddenly appearing in them.

Lucius reached out his shaking hands to pick up the onyx envelope in front of him. He turned it over and noticed the ornate Malfoy seal done in silver wax along the closure. As he slipped a finger under the lip of the envelope, he was suddenly stopped by Abraxas' shout of "No!" Lucius gazed up at his father, a quizzical look on his face.

Abraxas was stretched across the table towards his son, one hand reaching out to him in a halting manner. Seeing that he had delayed his son's actions, Abraxas straightened himself so that he was standing in his most commanding way. In a calmer voice, he addressed his son with "You know the rules. Everything must be completed in a solitary manner." He turned towards his wife. "Come Morgana, we will be filled in on the details after the task is completed."

Morgana offered up a slight pout, but preceded her husband from the room. As he turned to close the door, Abraxas glanced at Lucius. "Do well son…oh…and happy birthday." He shot Lucius a maliciously conspiratorial smirk and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lucius turned and stared at the envelope that was again resting on the table. He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers and picked the troubling missive up. With a quick flick of his finger the seal broke and he pulled out a thick sheaf of paper.

The missive began "Dear Lucius, on the occasion of your seventeenth birthday…" Lucius was only able to pick out little phrases after that: "your sacred duty…the muggle in question…not murder, but necessary cleansing… retrieve the necklace…leave at ten in the morning…apparate to this location…remember you are a Malfoy." The letter was signed, "Your loving grandfather, Simeon Malfoy."

Lucius read through the dispatch several more times before he fully comprehended all that it said. After the fourth time through, with the phrase "remember you are a Malfoy" repeating in his mind, Lucius lay his head down on the table and cried softly to himself.


End file.
